Relating to standing in a suit affecting the parent-child relationship.
HB 2350 amends Texas Family Code Section 102.003 to clarify who has legal standing to file a lawsuit concerning a parent-child relationship. It specifically adds new categories of individuals who can initiate such cases, including foster parents, relatives, or designated caregivers who have cared for a child placed by the Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) for at least 12 months, with exceptions if the child was returned to parents or a DFPS case was dismissed. It also expands standing for relatives within the fourth degree of consanguinity if both parents are deceased. The bill directly affects foster parents, extended family members, and caregivers seeking legal involvement in a child's custody or care. This change streamlines eligibility for filing suits without altering custody standards or outcomes.
Bill status
signed
all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Mar 2025
Committee Review
May 2025
House Passage
May 2025
Senate Passage
May 2025
Signed into Law
Jun 2025
Introduced Mar 14, 2025
Signed Jun 20, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons
What changed between versions
Engrossed
→
Enrolled
·
6 edits
·
Jun 20, 2025
MODERATE
This bill updates Texas Family Code provisions regarding who can file lawsuits to establish or modify parent-child relationships, with minor formatting and accessibility text additions. The substantive changes expand standing rules for certain relatives and add intervention rights for grandparents and other relatives in existing cases.
Scope change
The bill expands eligibility for filing suits and intervenes in existing cases by adding new categories of people who can seek legal standing and by allowing grandparents and other relatives to intervene in pending suits under specific circumstances.
ELIGIBILITY
Added new categories of people who can file original suits affecting parent-child relationships, including specific provisions for gestational agreement intended parents and foster parents in certain situations.
Added new subsections allowing grandparents and other relatives to intervene in pending suits if they can prove that appointing parents as sole managing conservators would significantly impair the child's physical health or emotional development.
Added provisions allowing certain non-relative adults with substantial past contact with a child to intervene in pending suits, subject to parental consent.
Modified standing requirements for foster parents and relatives to clarify when they can file adoption suits and when they can intervene in existing cases.
TECHNICAL
Added accessibility compliance text and formatting updates to align with WCAG 2.1 standards.
TIMELINE
Set the effective date of the law as September 1, 2025.
Floor votes · House May 1, 2025
How they voted
This bill passed the Senate by voice vote (no roll call recorded).
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
52
Key actions
18
Committee
13
Jun 20, 2025
Signed into law
Signed by the Governor
executive
May 23, 2025
Upper · Passed
Signed in the Senate
upper
May 23, 2025
Lower · Passed
Signed in the House
lower
May 21, 2025
Lower · Passed
Senate passage reported
lower
May 21, 2025
Upper · Passed
Passed
upper
May 15, 2025
Upper · Passed
Committee report printed and distributed
upper
May 15, 2025
Upper · Passed
Reported favorably w/o amendments
upper
May 14, 2025
Upper · Passed
Vote taken in committee
upper
May 7, 2025
Upper · Passed
Left pending in committee
upper
May 7, 2025
Upper · Passed
Testimony taken in committee
upper
May 5, 2025
Committee
Referred to Jurisprudence
upper
May 5, 2025
Introduced
Read first time
upper
May 5, 2025
Introduced
Received from the House
upper
May 2, 2025
Lower · Passed
Passed
lower
May 1, 2025
Lower · Passed
Passed to engrossment
lower
Apr 25, 2025
Lower · Passed
Committee report sent to Calendars
lower
Apr 23, 2025
Lower · Passed
Committee report distributed
lower
Apr 8, 2025
Lower · Passed
Reported favorably as substituted
lower
Apr 8, 2025
Lower · Passed
Recalled from subcommittee
lower
Mar 24, 2025
Lower · Passed
Left pending in subcommittee
lower
Mar 24, 2025
Lower · Passed
Testimony taken/registration(s) recorded in subcommittee
lower
Mar 14, 2025
Committee
Referred to s/c on Family & Fiduciary Relationships by Speaker
lower
Mar 14, 2025
Introduced
Read first time
lower
1 primary · 0 co-sponsors
Sponsors
Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Harold Dutton
DDemocratic
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